Skycaddie GPS or Rangefinder

[warbirdlover]

Was thinking if I get some mad money to invest in something to give me better yardages. Which would you buy if price wasn't an issue, a GPS device or rangefinder?

[ThatCanadianGuy]

I would look into a skycaddie. Sounds like the best option to me.

[sssmokin]

A rangefinder would be nice if it is the model that has the elevation figured in. On the hilly courses around here, you would need that. The carts at Lawsonia in Green Lake, WI have the GPS "onboard". Nice.

[warbirdlover]

I know nothing about GPS. Do you have to "set up" for a golf course or are some courses not in it? Big "black hole" for me.... I'm kind of "leaning" toward a range finder.

How about this one?

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...chId=2274061#1

[ualtim]

Rangefinder. You can get a distance to anything from anywhere and it is more accurate that a GPS. Bushnell has the Medalist coming out in March with Pinseeker technology that was only found in the high end models until now with a retail expected to be $299. It works on any course in the world, does not require any down loads, and there is never any additional expense except maybe a battery which I have yet to wear out in my current model in almost 3 years of use. If I did not already have a rangefinder, this puppy would be heading towards Orlando as soon as I could order it.

A note on Pinseeker Technology. On the older Bushnell models without Pinseeker, it could be very hard to pick up the pin/flag combination when there was no wind due a more reflective object reflecting more of the beam back to the unit giving you a wrong distance. Pinseeker takes all of the various distance readings from different objects and provides only the distance to the closest object which is the pin/flag. Pretty simple and elegent technology that vastly improves a range finder's performance.

[warbirdlover]

Rangefinder. You can get a distance to anything from anywhere and it is more accurate that a GPS. Bushnell has the Medalist coming out in March with Pinseeker technology that was only found in the high end models until now with a retail expected to be $299. It works on any course in the world, does not require any down loads, and there is never any additional expense except maybe a battery which I have yet to wear out in my current model in almost 3 years of use. If I did not already have a rangefinder, this puppy would be heading towards Orlando as soon as I could order it.

A note on Pinseeker Technology. On the older Bushnell models without Pinseeker, it could be very hard to pick up the pin/flag combination when there was no wind due a more reflective object reflecting more of the beam back to the unit giving you a wrong distance. Pinseeker takes all of the various distance readings from different objects and provides only the distance to the closest object which is the pin/flag. Pretty simple and elegent technology that vastly improves a range finder's performance.

ualtim

the Medalist sounds EXACTLY what I'm looking for. Thanks for the update!! And look what I found (select Medalist model)!!

http://www.tgw.com/customer/category...TEGORY_ID=7293

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

the Medalist sounds EXACTLY what I'm looking for. Thanks for the update!! And look what I found (select Medalist model)!!

http://www.tgw.com/customer/category...TEGORY_ID=7293

Thats the one. We got to mess around with one at the press conference, but they would not give it away in the drawing like the Tournent and Slope models as it was apparently not a production model yet. I like how the golfers whorehouse listed retail of $449 when Bushnell themselves said the expected retail is going to be $299. Expected ship date, March 1st.

[demon]

Rangefinder, not all courses have gps plus rangefinders are handy at the range.

[goatster]

id go with the gps i think they are more accurate.we use them at work to place toilets for the military.provided they actualy reconed the area as apossed to just looking at a map we can place tehm in the exact spot they want them without anyone there to show us were they want them.(within a foot or so)

[gunning4u]

Range finder works good for play and on the range and I use mine for bowhuntnig also.

[Sandpiper3]

Im lookin at that bushnell medalist for this season. Will help me a lot for preparing for tourneys and figuring out my yardages.

[warbirdlover]

I could use the rangefinder for deer hunting also!!

[SunnyDaze]

I have a rangefinder, and one of my golfing partners got a sky caddie for Christmas. On our home course the distances to the pin were very close once he figured out how to move the pin placement around on the green. He did lose the signal sometimes when trees blocked the satellite, but the signal came back reasonably fast. Both work, but I found distances to the pin quicker than he did, and I could seek just about anything, whereas he could only get ranges to things programmed in. He has to download course information, and I'm not sure what he has to pay each year for that.

Overall, after playing with both for a couple of rounds, I'll stick with my rangefinder. The only disadvantage I find with it is its size. The GPS devices are much smaller. For the little difference in operation, if I had to walk (if only I could walk) I think I would prefer the skycaddy.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

I could use the rangefinder for deer hunting also!!

Indeed you can WBL.

Sunnydaze, what rangefinder do you have? How is it?

[Pa Jayhawk]

I have a rangefinder. I will be buying a Golf GPS in March. I have a pretty good familiarity with GPS's in general, and have used them for about 15 years or so for Hiking and Navigation.

If I had to choose between one, I would say the rangefinder for the reasons mentioned in alot of the threads on here in the past. First off, if you get a Sky Caddie, the do not have every course, you have to pay a fee to get the courses, if they do not have your course you will only get front back and center of the green. They have other models that allow you to enter your own points. I will be going with the iGolf for this reason and plotting my own points, and will likely not sign up for their service as I can use my Range finder on courses I do not regularly play. Later on I may sign up, as eventually they should have a massive database as they allow uploads. Check the Skycaddie website to see if they have your courses and that they are the ones with hazards and such. If they are not rated at I believe 4 star, you only get front back and center of green. The site explains it. Another consideration is you will need to leave the GPS on all of the time, it takes a little time to initialize and find the location. If you did so in between shots, it would likely become a real hassle. For this reason, I also want a model that uses regular batteries as opposed to built in. In time the Lithium Ion Batteries will be an issue, whereas you will likely not get a whole round out of the battery life. Not being able to swap rechargable batteries on the course seems like a deal breaker for me based on my experience with batteries. I believe some of the Sky Caddies have this option as well.

Another consideration, and the reason I am waiting till March. Check the warranty, had I bought mine in December, the warranty would have expired prior to the new golf season. With a Range Finder you can test it out pretty easy. I rarely if every spot the flag with my range finder anyways. If you choose the GPS, you may want to wait till it is warmer to test it out. With a range finder you are also not tied into knowing what course you will be playing. When I travel, I often decide last minute. No need to think about it, the range finder doesn't care.

Again, I would go range finder, but reserve the right to change my mind in March after I have both. My main reasoning on even buying the GPS is that I no longer play other courses as frequently after joining my home course. Had I not joined, I likely would never have considered a GPS as I played far more different course, none of which were on the Skycaddie database.